THREE RIVERS, MI — A Fabius Township resident is hoping his efforts will help shed light on a situation with potentially grave consequences for wetland and lake ecosystems.

To that end, Vic Eichler is hoping Saturday’s “Save the Frogs Day” event in Three Rivers will get the public’s attention.

Making people aware of the declining frog species is a critical first step, he said. Encouraging the public to adopt measures to help the species is the second.

“As many as 2,000 species of frogs are facing possible extinction, affecting not only the balance of nature, but also indicating to humans that all is not right in our environment,” Eichler said.

A number of events and activities will take place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Three Rivers farmer’s market pavilion, located off West Michigan Avenue. Worldwide, Saturday will be the fifth observance of Save the Frogs Day.

Three Rivers will be one of 300 communities in the country to take part.

Saturday’s program will feature free hot dogs from the Weenie King, games and crafts, educational displays, face painting, and live frogs — a poison-dart frog and a red-eyed tree frog – on loan from separate amphibian collections.

Eichler, who is chairman of the Fabius Township Wetlands Committee and also heads the local Save the Frogs Committee, reiterated awareness of the issue is huge.

“Most people are surprised when they hear about the worldwide crisis regarding the potential extinction of frog species,” he said. “And then they stop and think about it and realize they don’t see or hear as many frogs as they once did.”

Over the past month, about 20 merchants in Three Rivers have taken part in a “Find the Frog” contest, where participants are encouraged to patronize the stores, and find and make note of the location of a frog icon within each business.

Eichler said he’s pleased with the promotion because it gets the business community involved and many of the participants seem to enjoy the challenge of finding as many frog icons as they can.

Awards for contest participants will be given around 1:20 p.m. Saturday.

Meanwhile, Three Rivers Mayor Tom Lowry at 1 p.m. is expected to read a local proclamation in support of Save the Frogs Day, and a representative from state Rep. Matt Lori’s office will do the same for a proclamation presented by Lori and approved by his peers in Lansing.

Students from the Three Rivers Area Mentoring program have stepped in to help out the cause. Earlier this month, they painted plywood boards donated by Home Depot and the end result, an 80-foot-long mural, is on display along Scidmore Park.

Eichler wished to acknowledge local companies helping to support Saturday’s program: Waste Management of Three Rivers provided a grant, Walgreen’s donated drinks, and Home Depot and Sherwin Williams provided materials for the murals.

“Consciousness for Save the Frog Day is very high and I really appreciate the support given to help promote the cause,” Eichler said, noting communities in another 40 countries are also expected to take part.

In advance of Saturday’s activities, Save the Frogs Day got off to an early start with the showing of “Frogs: The Thin Green Line,” this past Sunday at the Riviera Theatre. Originally shown on the National Geographic Channel, the hour-long presentation delved into the danger frogs as a species face.

More than 60 people attended.

Eichler said atrazine — a primary chemical found in most herbicides — is a major culprit behind the reduction in frog populations. Atrazine is banned in Europe but not in other continents.

Eichler, whose education credentials include University of Iowa, University of Chicago and Wichita State University, said atrazine results in sterility in certain breeds of frogs, and causes a feminizing effect on other species of male frogs.

He cited a clip in “Frogs: The Thin Green Line,” where a male frog laid eggs. As many as 2,000 species of frogs are facing possible extinction, a fact that Eichler said will have a devastating impact on the balance of nature.

For more information about the local Save the Frogs Committee, Eichler asks correspondence be sent by mail at P.O. Box 171, Three Rivers, 49093.

MORE INFORMATION:

WHAT: Save the Frogs Day activities

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Three Rivers Farmer’s Market, off West Michigan Avenue, adjacent to